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Mixing a caffeine-laden energy drink with alcohol seems like a great idea, right? The caffeine can counteract the sedating effects of the alcohol and allow imbibers to party longer. Not. Turns out such behavior, popular among college students, is much more likely to result in drunkenness than when alcohol is consumed alone, a recent study by University of Florida researchers found. Roland Griffiths, a caffeine expert at Johns Hopkins, says there’s support for this conclusion.

GRIFFITHS: There are a number of different survey studies that show that people who consume energy drinks in combination with alcohol end up more likely to be in accidents or engaging in risky or dangerous kinds of behaviors than people who don’t combine caffeine with their alcohol. :21

Griffiths says the take home message is simple: don’t combine high caffeine beverages with alcohol. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.